Directions: your group is responsible for compiling and creating responses to all sections and will be graded on the completeness and accuracy of the information provided. In addition, your response must include material covered in class, not information "cut and pasted" from on-line study guides. Assignment is worth 100 points. Remember, you are helping your classmates by providing a complete response.
Plot Summary
The Inferno opens with Dante Alighieri in a “wood of wilderness” how he got there he cannot recall. He is drawn to “morning rays of light” at the top of a hill when three animals, a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf block his way. Dante then sees Virgil who says he is sent by his old love Beatrice and if Dante follows him through hell he will be forgiven for his sins on earth and led to “join the blessed”. The two pass through the gate of Hell and enter the vestibule where the undecided reside. Dante and Virgil then cross the River Acheron led by Charon and enter the first circle where the Virtuous Pagans and Virgil suffer. Virgil then leads Dante to the second circle where true sinners are assigned punishments by the monster Minos. They descend through Upper Hell and the incontinent sinners and find them selves at the River Styx, which separates Upper and Lower Hell. They approach the City of Dis and the sixth circle where the Heretics are punished, but they are refused entry until Virgil proclaims he is sent by the highest power. They pass through the seventh circle where those who committed violent sins are condemned. At the end of this circle the monster Geryon transports Virgil and Dante down across the Great Barrier and Waterfall. The two then descend through the eighth circle where those who committed simple fraud are punished in Malebolge. The Giant Antaeus places them in the ninth circle where those who committed complex Fraud are trapped in Cocytus. Dante and Virgil finally come across Lucifer and escape through the “rocky crevice”.
Major Characters, Description, and Relationships: Dante - The author and protagonist of The Inferno. His life was what influenced the major themes, motifs, and other characters in the novel. He included people and events from his own life by portraying them in the Inferno. He is guided by Virgil through the depths of hell, and portrays his character as sympathetic and almost passionate towards the sinners in hell. Virgil - Virgil guides Dante through the depths of hell. He was considered one of the greatest Latin poets of his time. Virgil’s soul is in hell because he lived before Christ’s time. He is portrayed as a wise, virtuous soul, perfectly fit for being Dante’s guide.
Beatrice - Beatrice is the soul that told Virgil to guide Dante through hell. This is the woman that Dante claimed to be so in love with at the start of the epic poem.
Charon - A representation of a mythological being; he transports the souls from the Vestibule to the depths of hell via the river Acheron. Lucifer - The prince of Hell. Also referred to as Dis or Satan. Lucifer resides at the bottom of the Ninth (and final) Circle of Hell (Circle of Treachery) with his body jutting through the planet's center. He has three faces but does not speak. His three mouths engulf and chew three of history's greatest traitors: Judas, the betrayer of Christ, and Cassius and Brutus, the betrayers of Julius Caesar.
Count Ugolino and Archbishop Ruggieri - A traitor condemned to the Second Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell. Ugolino gnaws on the head of another damned traitor, Archbishop Ruggieri. When Ruggieri imprisoned Ugolino and his sons, causing them to starve, Ugolino was forced to eat the corpses of his starved sons.
Fra Alberigo and Branca d'Oria - Sinners condemned to the Third Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell. Fra Alberigo and Branca d'Oria are slightly different from the other sinners Dante encounters. Their crimes were determined to be so great that devils snatched their souls from their living bodies. Their souls reside in Hell while their bodies still live, possessed by demons.
Pope Boniface VIII - A notoriously corrupt pope who reigned from 1294 to 1303. Boniface made an attempt to increase the political power of the Catholic Church and was thus a political enemy of Dante, who advocated a separation of church and state.
Minos - The king of Crete in Greek mythology. Minos is portrayed by Dante as a giant beast who stands at the Second Circle of Hell, deciding where the souls of sinners shall be sent for torment. While listening to a sinner's confession, Minos curls his tail around himself a specific number of times to represent the circle of Hell to which the soul should be placed in.
Paolo and Francesca da Rimini - A pair of lovers condemned to the Second Circle of Hell for an adulterous love affair that they began after reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere.
Nessus - The Centaur (half man and half horse) who carries Dante through the First Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell.
Guido da Montefeltro - An advisor to Pope Boniface VIII, da Montefeltro was promised forgiveness for his sin. Da Montefeltro now suffers in Hell, since absolution cannot be gained without repentance and it is impossible to repent a sin before committing it.
3) Literary Terms discussed in class (including a brief definition and how they relate to the text):
Contrapasso: just punishment of sin Concupiscence: the quality of an evil act that is directed at physical pleasure as its goal Malice: those offenses in which there is an intellectual joy in inflicting evil Lust: inordinate desire for the pleasures of the body Gluttony: inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires Greed: the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual Sloth: the avoidance of physical or spiritual work Wrath: is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury Envy: the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation Pride: excessive belief in ones' own abilities which intereferes with the individuals recognition of the grace of God. Terza Rima: three-line stanzas, which combine iambic meter with a propulsive rhyme scheme. Within each stanza, the first and third lines rhyme, the middle line having a different end sound. The end sound of this middle line then rhymes with the first and third lines of the next stanza. The rhyme scheme occurs as the following: aba bcb cdc ded efe, and so forth. Allegory- a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. Allegories are written in the form of fables, parables, poems, stories, and almost any other style or genre. The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols, that have both literal and figurative meanings. In the Inferno, Dante is on a pilgrimage to try to understand his own life, but his character also represents every man who is in search of his purpose in the world. Allusion- a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events. Specific examples of allusions can be found throughout Dante’s Inferno. In a passage, Dante alludes to the Greek mythological figures, Phaethon and Icarus, to express his fear as he descends from the air into the eighth circle of hell.
Dante creates meaning through.... Plot structure
The plot structure helps to define the meaning of the poem, especially because there are 3 parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. By starting with the less harsh sins and punishments, a lighter tone is used by Dante in the beginning of the poem, and as the sins get worse and the punishments too, the tone gets increasingly worse, and scarier. Additionally, The Divine Comedy is set up in three parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. This represents Dante’s views of the hierarchical structure of both the physical and spiritual worlds, which eventually lead to God. The overall structure of the poem, which consists of 33 cantos, takes Dante and Virgil through the nine circles of Hell after they first pass through the Vestibule. Characters
By using characters from his own life’s experience, Dante is able to create, and further develop, one of the major themes in this poem; his discontent with those who exiled him from Florence, and those who he felt victimized by. Setting
The setting, which is obviously hell, is perhaps the most significant aspect of the poem. There are 10 circles, including the Vestibule; in medieval thinking, ten was considered a perfect number. This contributes to the notion of divinity, or, how Dante believes that God was above all which further include different variations of three basic sins: incontinence, violence, and fraud Point of View
Dante wrote The Inferno from his own point of view. This creates a sort of bias within the text. However, by writing it from his own point of view, he contributed to one of the major purposes of this text: to express his discontent with those who sent him out of exile, those who sinned, and those who did him wrong.
5) Themes/Motifs(at least 4): Contrapasso: just punishment of a sin. This is evident throughout The Inferno. The sins those in hell committed have a huge impact on the punishment they face in hell. For example the gluttonous lived a life of filling their bodies with unneeded filth, so they must face eternity in a shower of excrement. The Sullen, those who “muttered and sulked under the light of the sun”, are now submerged under the black and muddy River Styx choking on it’s content with every breath. Concupiscence: The quality of an evil act that that is directed at physical pleasure as its goal. Examples of theses acts of sin are Lust, and Adultery, which can lead to direct physical pleasure, but can hurt you as well as others. In The Inferno lust is seen a common and there for less serious sin, but the “potential complicity” of this sin is realized in The Inferno because it marked as one of the seven deadly sins. Those who desired for the pleasures of the body are punished in hell by being thrown about by powerful gusts of wind representing them following inhibitions, instead of reason. Malice: Offenses where there is an intellectual joy in inflicting evil. These sins in which mental pleasure is the goal are seen as worse than those where physical pleasure is the goal in The Inferno. This is because sins were physical pleasure is trying to be obtained can been seen as a loss of control and the bestial side of humans over taking the will of our minds. But when it comes to sins of Malice there is a deeper reason for the completion of the sin. The person consciously goes against the will of God despite what their morals and conscience tells them. The sins where these characteristics are evident would be false witness, and treachery. Those who committed sins of treachery are damned near the lowest pit of Hell indicating that these sins were truly a defiance to the word of God. Story telling as a way to achieve Immortality: In The Inferno many of the character's ask Dante to remember their names and tell their stories back in the land of the living. By doing this they hope to live on in people's memories. Dante agrees to spread to stories of some of the sinners and refuses to tell the tales of others. Dante agrees to spread the names of some sinners because they helped him in Hell and refuses to help others because he found their sins especially damaging. Dante is using The Inferno to keep himself immortal as well. By creating such a story of hell, which he claims to be true, Dante would certainly be remembered through the ages.
Politics
An obvious goal that Dante had when first writing this poem was to explain the political nightmare of fourteenth-century Florence, where he had recently been exiled from. He makes his assertions in various ways. For example, he condemns political figures with whom he disagreed by placing them throughout Hell. He also asserts throughout the poem his personal political belief that church and state should exist as separate but equal powers on Earth.
Classical Literature and Mythology
Although the values that the Inferno asserts are decidedly Christian, the poem owes almost as much to Greek and Roman tradition as it does to Christian morality literature. Dante's Christian Hell features a large variety of mythological and ancient literary creatures. He even incorporates mythological places, such as the rivers Acheron and Styx. Dante often refers to and imitates the styles of great classical writers such as Homer, Ovid, Lucan, and Virgil himself. This is seen as an attempt to situate himself within the tradition of classical epics while proving that he is a greater writer than any of the classical poets.
6) Quotes from the text that capture major themes (at least 3):
The theme of Contrapasso is seen in nearly every Canto of The Inferno. Dante addresses contrapasso directly in the eighth circle when referencing to the The Bertran de Born, "The one/ who evilly encouraged the young king./ Father and son i set against each other:/ Achitophel with his wicked instigations / did not do more with Absalom and David. / Because I cut the bonds of those so joined, / I bear my head cut off from it's life-source, / which is back there, alas, within its trunk. / In me you see the perfect contrapasso!" (Canto 29) The themes of concupiscence and malice can be tied together in one women's horible sin. Myrrha the ancient shade,
"who became too much her father's friend./
she wen tto him, and there she sinned in love, pretending that her body was another's --/
just as the other there fleeing in the distance,/
contrived to make his own the 'queen of studs'
/ pretending that he was Buoso Donati, making his will and giving it due form." (canto 30).
Myrrha combined both physical and mental pleasure by satisfying her sexual needs by impersonating another, and her mental needs by lying to her father and the whole world. This sin needed much planning to come to fruition clearly marking it as a sin of malice.
The theme of story telling as a way to achieve immortality is explored and intriguing to almost all of the people and creatures in hell. Some of the people refuse to allow Dante to spread their name, but others want their name to live on, like the giant Antaeus,
"do no scowl at us.
He still can spread you legend in the world,
for he yet lives, and long life lies before him,
unless Grace summons him before his time"
Thus spoke my master, and the giant in haste
stretched out the hands who formidable grip
great Hercules once felt, and took my guide." (canto 32) “We climbed, he first and I behind, until
through a small round opening ahead of us
I saw the lovely things the heavens hold,
and we came out to see once more the stars”
(Canto XXXIV)
This is the point where Dante and Virgil climb out of hell. Their next step is Purgatory, or, Purgatorio. This quote explains the point at which Dante and Virgil transcend from the deepest part of hell, and upwards to purgatory.
"Midway on our life's journey, I found myself/ In dark woods, the right road lost."
A general understanding about a work can be made if key ideas are focused on, such as the beginning themes, turning points, as well as ending themes. This quote comes from the very beginning of the book before Dante has even entered into hell. Words such as “journey” and “right road” symbolize the religious aspect of Dante's approaching adventure and informs the reader that he is leaving the realm of the literal. The "dark woods" symbolize Dante's fear, while in contrast, the "right road" symbolizes his confidence in God. This contrast gives the general implication that Dante is searching for God in the sinful world of hell, which brings up many other connections and themes of the epic poem. Dante's reference to “our life” depicts that the journey that he is about to go on is one that all humans experience.
"through me you enter into the city of woes/ through me you enter into eternal pain/ through me you enter the population of loss... abandon all hope you who enter here."
Dante reads these lines, which he finds inscribed on the Gate of Hell, as he and Virgil pass into the Ante-Inferno before the river Acheron in the third canto. These lines represent the voice of Hell, almost as if it is stating its nature, origin, and purpose. The inscription portrays Hell as a city. This defines much of the geography of the poem. Hell is a gruesome opposition to Heaven, which Virgil describes as the city of God. The inscription also portrays Hell as a place of eternal woes, pain, and loss. It is a place from which there is supposed to be no escape as described in the lines "Abandon all hope"
"Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars."
This line is very important because it firstly ends the poem as well as provides an idea established by Dante. Dante gazes up at Heaven's stars almost immediately after departing from hell. This image symbolizes the idea that Dante has begun his slow climb out of sin and confusion and has taken a step toward Beatrice and God. This line ends the very dark poem on an optimistic note.
7) Interpretive Questions (at least 3):
Do you believe that for each crime, the punishment was just? Was Dante to lenient, or too harsh to one sin than he was to another?
For those who were incontinent, do you believe that they should have been punished? (Incontinence is the inability to control oneself)
3. Why were traitors placed in the deepest circle of hell below all other types of sinners? What personal connection does Dante (author) have with traitors that would cause him to make such a bold statement on the topic of treachery?
4. When Dante completed his journey and witnessed the sight of Satan, why did he not say much?
5. Light appears and disappears here at the beginning of the book. What do you think the "light" and "dark" symbolize?
8) Historical/Social/Philosophical Influences on text (include relevant author biography): Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 and died in 1321. He was born in Florence, Italy, which had a lot of significance on the text; many of the characters included in this text are people who, in real life, wronged Dante in some way, or partook in his exile. This personal connection to the text can explain for some of the reason why Dante ordered the sins in the fashion that he did. Dante wrote the complete works, The Comedy, to express his disgust after he was exiled. Before he was exiled, there was a rivalry between the two most influential political families in Florence. There were the Guelphs, or, those in power, and the Ghibellines, or, the exiled. The Guelphs then split into two conflicting groups, The Whites, and The Blacks; The Whites, of which Dante was a member, eventually became more powerful than the Blacks. The Blacks went to Rome to ask for help from the Pope, which was then followed by many executions of the Blacks by the Whites. Dante was one of the six Whites who influenced and stood behind the persecution. After the Blacks stages a coup in 1301, and succeeded, Dante and other Whites were sent into exile.
Directions: your group is responsible for compiling and creating responses to all sections and will be graded on the completeness and accuracy of the information provided. In addition, your response must include material covered in class, not information "cut and pasted" from on-line study guides. Assignment is worth 100 points. Remember, you are helping your classmates by providing a complete response.
Plot Summary
The Inferno opens with Dante Alighieri in a “wood of wilderness” how he got there he cannot recall. He is drawn to “morning rays of light” at the top of a hill when three animals, a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf block his way. Dante then sees Virgil who says he is sent by his old love Beatrice and if Dante follows him through hell he will be forgiven for his sins on earth and led to “join the blessed”. The two pass through the gate of Hell and enter the vestibule where the undecided reside. Dante and Virgil then cross the River Acheron led by Charon and enter the first circle where the Virtuous Pagans and Virgil suffer. Virgil then leads Dante to the second circle where true sinners are assigned punishments by the monster Minos. They descend through Upper Hell and the incontinent sinners and find them selves at the River Styx, which separates Upper and Lower Hell. They approach the City of Dis and the sixth circle where the Heretics are punished, but they are refused entry until Virgil proclaims he is sent by the highest power. They pass through the seventh circle where those who committed violent sins are condemned. At the end of this circle the monster Geryon transports Virgil and Dante down across the Great Barrier and Waterfall. The two then descend through the eighth circle where those who committed simple fraud are punished in Malebolge. The Giant Antaeus places them in the ninth circle where those who committed complex Fraud are trapped in Cocytus. Dante and Virgil finally come across Lucifer and escape through the “rocky crevice”.Major Characters, Description, and Relationships:
Dante - The author and protagonist of The Inferno. His life was what influenced the major themes, motifs, and other characters in the novel. He included people and events from his own life by portraying them in the Inferno. He is guided by Virgil through the depths of hell, and portrays his character as sympathetic and almost passionate towards the sinners in hell.
Virgil - Virgil guides Dante through the depths of hell. He was considered one of the greatest Latin poets of his time. Virgil’s soul is in hell because he lived before Christ’s time. He is portrayed as a wise, virtuous soul, perfectly fit for being Dante’s guide.
Beatrice - Beatrice is the soul that told Virgil to guide Dante through hell. This is the woman that Dante claimed to be so in love with at the start of the epic poem.
Charon - A representation of a mythological being; he transports the souls from the Vestibule to the depths of hell via the river Acheron.
Count Ugolino and Archbishop Ruggieri - A traitor condemned to the Second Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell. Ugolino gnaws on the head of another damned traitor, Archbishop Ruggieri. When Ruggieri imprisoned Ugolino and his sons,
Fra Alberigo and Branca d'Oria - Sinners condemned to the Third Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell. Fra Alberigo and Branca d'Oria are slightly different from the other sinners Dante encounters. Their crimes were determined to be so great that devils snatched their souls from their living bodies. Their souls reside in Hell while their bodies still live, possessed by demons.
Pope Boniface VIII - A notoriously corrupt pope who reigned from 1294 to 1303. Boniface made an attempt to increase the political power of the Catholic Church and was thus a political enemy of Dante, who advocated a separation of church and state.
Minos - The king of Crete in Greek mythology. Minos is portrayed by Dante as a giant beast who stands at the Second Circle of Hell, deciding where the souls of sinners shall be sent for torment. While listening to a sinner's confession, Minos curls his tail around himself a specific number of times to represent the circle of Hell to which the soul should be placed in.
Paolo and Francesca da Rimini - A pair of lovers condemned to the Second Circle of Hell for an adulterous love affair that they began after reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere.
Nessus - The Centaur (half man and half horse) who carries Dante through the First Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell.
Guido da Montefeltro - An advisor to Pope Boniface VIII, da Montefeltro was promised forgiveness for his sin. Da Montefeltro now suffers in Hell, since absolution cannot be gained without repentance and it is impossible to repent a sin before committing it.
3) Literary Terms discussed in class (including a brief definition and how they relate to the text):
Contrapasso: just punishment of sin
Concupiscence: the quality of an evil act that is directed at physical pleasure as its goal
Malice: those offenses in which there is an intellectual joy in inflicting evil
Lust: inordinate desire for the pleasures of the body
Gluttony: inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires
Greed: the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual
Sloth: the avoidance of physical or spiritual work
Wrath: is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury
Envy: the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation
Pride: excessive belief in ones' own abilities which intereferes with the individuals recognition of the grace of God.
Terza Rima: three-line stanzas, which combine iambic meter with a propulsive rhyme scheme. Within each stanza, the first and third lines rhyme, the middle line having a different end sound. The end sound of this middle line then rhymes with the first and third lines of the next stanza. The rhyme scheme occurs as the following: aba bcb cdc ded efe, and so forth.
Allegory- a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. Allegories are written in the form of fables, parables, poems, stories, and almost any other style or genre. The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols, that have both literal and figurative meanings. In the Inferno, Dante is on a pilgrimage to try to understand his own life, but his character also represents every man who is in search of his purpose in the world.
Allusion- a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events. Specific examples of allusions can be found throughout Dante’s Inferno. In a passage, Dante alludes to the Greek mythological figures, Phaethon and Icarus, to express his fear as he descends from the air into the eighth circle of hell.
Dante creates meaning through....
Plot structure
The plot structure helps to define the meaning of the poem, especially because there are 3 parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. By starting with the less harsh sins and punishments, a lighter tone is used by Dante in the beginning of the poem, and as the sins get worse and the punishments too, the tone gets increasingly worse, and scarier. Additionally, The Divine Comedy is set up in three parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. This represents Dante’s views of the hierarchical structure of both the physical and spiritual worlds, which eventually lead to God. The overall structure of the poem, which consists of 33 cantos, takes Dante and Virgil through the nine circles of Hell after they first pass through the Vestibule.
Characters
By using characters from his own life’s experience, Dante is able to create, and further develop, one of the major themes in this poem; his discontent with those who exiled him from Florence, and those who he felt victimized by.
Setting
The setting, which is obviously hell, is perhaps the most significant aspect of the poem. There are 10 circles, including the Vestibule; in medieval thinking, ten was considered a perfect number. This contributes to the notion of divinity, or, how Dante believes that God was above all which further include different variations of three basic sins: incontinence, violence, and fraud
Point of View
Dante wrote The Inferno from his own point of view. This creates a sort of bias within the text. However, by writing it from his own point of view, he contributed to one of the major purposes of this text: to express his discontent with those who sent him out of exile, those who sinned, and those who did him wrong.
5) Themes/Motifs(at least 4):
Contrapasso: just punishment of a sin. This is evident throughout The Inferno. The sins those in hell committed have a huge impact on the punishment they face in hell. For example the gluttonous lived a life of filling their bodies with unneeded filth, so they must face eternity in a shower of excrement. The Sullen, those who “muttered and sulked under the light of the sun”, are now submerged under the black and muddy River Styx choking on it’s content with every breath.
Concupiscence: The quality of an evil act that that is directed at physical pleasure as its goal. Examples of theses acts of sin are Lust, and Adultery, which can lead to direct physical pleasure, but can hurt you as well as others. In The Inferno lust is seen a common and there for less serious sin, but the “potential complicity” of this sin is realized in The Inferno because it marked as one of the seven deadly sins. Those who desired for the pleasures of the body are punished in hell by being thrown about by powerful gusts of wind representing them following inhibitions, instead of reason.
Malice: Offenses where there is an intellectual joy in inflicting evil. These sins in which mental pleasure is the goal are seen as worse than those where physical pleasure is the goal in The Inferno. This is because sins were physical pleasure is trying to be obtained can been seen as a loss of control and the bestial side of humans over taking the will of our minds. But when it comes to sins of Malice there is a deeper reason for the completion of the sin. The person consciously goes against the will of God despite what their morals and conscience tells them. The sins where these characteristics are evident would be false witness, and treachery. Those who committed sins of treachery are damned near the lowest pit of Hell indicating that these sins were truly a defiance to the word of God.
Story telling as a way to achieve Immortality: In The Inferno many of the character's ask Dante to remember their names and tell their stories back in the land of the living. By doing this they hope to live on in people's memories. Dante agrees to spread to stories of some of the sinners and refuses to tell the tales of others. Dante agrees to spread the names of some sinners because they helped him in Hell and refuses to help others because he found their sins especially damaging. Dante is using The Inferno to keep himself immortal as well. By creating such a story of hell, which he claims to be true, Dante would certainly be remembered through the ages.
Politics
An obvious goal that Dante had when first writing this poem was to explain the political nightmare of fourteenth-century Florence, where he had recently been exiled from. He makes his assertions in various ways. For example, he condemns political figures with whom he disagreed by placing them throughout Hell. He also asserts throughout the poem his personal political belief that church and state should exist as separate but equal powers on Earth.Classical Literature and Mythology
Although the values that the Inferno asserts are decidedly Christian, the poem owes almost as much to Greek and Roman tradition as it does to Christian morality literature. Dante's Christian Hell features a large variety of mythological and ancient literary creatures. He even incorporates mythological places, such as the rivers Acheron and Styx. Dante often refers to and imitates the styles of great classical writers such as Homer, Ovid, Lucan, and Virgil himself. This is seen as an attempt to situate himself within the tradition of classical epics while proving that he is a greater writer than any of the classical poets.6) Quotes from the text that capture major themes (at least 3):
The theme of Contrapasso is seen in nearly every Canto of The Inferno. Dante addresses contrapasso directly in the eighth circle when referencing to the The Bertran de Born, "The one/ who evilly encouraged the young king./ Father and son i set against each other:/ Achitophel with his wicked instigations / did not do more with Absalom and David. / Because I cut the bonds of those so joined, / I bear my head cut off from it's life-source, / which is back there, alas, within its trunk. / In me you see the perfect contrapasso!" (Canto 29)
The themes of concupiscence and malice can be tied together in one women's horible sin. Myrrha the ancient shade,
"who became too much her father's friend./
she wen tto him, and there she sinned in love, pretending that her body was another's --/
just as the other there fleeing in the distance,/
contrived to make his own the 'queen of studs'
/ pretending that he was Buoso Donati, making his will and giving it due form." (canto 30).
Myrrha combined both physical and mental pleasure by satisfying her sexual needs by impersonating another, and her mental needs by lying to her father and the whole world. This sin needed much planning to come to fruition clearly marking it as a sin of malice.
The theme of story telling as a way to achieve immortality is explored and intriguing to almost all of the people and creatures in hell. Some of the people refuse to allow Dante to spread their name, but others want their name to live on, like the giant Antaeus,
"do no scowl at us.
He still can spread you legend in the world,
for he yet lives, and long life lies before him,
unless Grace summons him before his time"
Thus spoke my master, and the giant in haste
stretched out the hands who formidable grip
great Hercules once felt, and took my guide." (canto 32)
“We climbed, he first and I behind, until
through a small round opening ahead of us
I saw the lovely things the heavens hold,
and we came out to see once more the stars”
(Canto XXXIV)
This is the point where Dante and Virgil climb out of hell. Their next step is Purgatory, or, Purgatorio. This quote explains the point at which Dante and Virgil transcend from the deepest part of hell, and upwards to purgatory.
"Midway on our life's journey, I found myself/ In dark woods, the right road lost."
A general understanding about a work can be made if key ideas are focused on, such as the beginning themes, turning points, as well as ending themes. This quote comes from the very beginning of the book before Dante has even entered into hell. Words such as “journey” and “right road” symbolize the religious aspect of Dante's approaching adventure and informs the reader that he is leaving the realm of the literal. The "dark woods" symbolize Dante's fear, while in contrast, the "right road" symbolizes his confidence in God. This contrast gives the general implication that Dante is searching for God in the sinful world of hell, which brings up many other connections and themes of the epic poem. Dante's reference to “our life” depicts that the journey that he is about to go on is one that all humans experience.
"through me you enter into the city of woes/ through me you enter into eternal pain/ through me you enter the population of loss... abandon all hope you who enter here."
Dante reads these lines, which he finds inscribed on the Gate of Hell, as he and Virgil pass into the Ante-Inferno before the river Acheron in the third canto. These lines represent the voice of Hell, almost as if it is stating its nature, origin, and purpose. The inscription portrays Hell as a city. This defines much of the geography of the poem. Hell is a gruesome opposition to Heaven, which Virgil describes as the city of God. The inscription also portrays Hell as a place of eternal woes, pain, and loss. It is a place from which there is supposed to be no escape as described in the lines "Abandon all hope"
"Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars."
This line is very important because it firstly ends the poem as well as provides an idea established by Dante. Dante gazes up at Heaven's stars almost immediately after departing from hell. This image symbolizes the idea that Dante has begun his slow climb out of sin and confusion and has taken a step toward Beatrice and God. This line ends the very dark poem on an optimistic note.
7) Interpretive Questions (at least 3):
- Do you believe that for each crime, the punishment was just? Was Dante to lenient, or too harsh to one sin than he was to another?
- For those who were incontinent, do you believe that they should have been punished? (Incontinence is the inability to control oneself)
3. Why were traitors placed in the deepest circle of hell below all other types of sinners? What personal connection does Dante (author) have with traitors that would cause him to make such a bold statement on the topic of treachery?4. When Dante completed his journey and witnessed the sight of Satan, why did he not say much?
5. Light appears and disappears here at the beginning of the book. What do you think the "light" and "dark" symbolize?
8) Historical/Social/Philosophical Influences on text (include relevant author biography): Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 and died in 1321. He was born in Florence, Italy, which had a lot of significance on the text; many of the characters included in this text are people who, in real life, wronged Dante in some way, or partook in his exile. This personal connection to the text can explain for some of the reason why Dante ordered the sins in the fashion that he did. Dante wrote the complete works, The Comedy, to express his disgust after he was exiled. Before he was exiled, there was a rivalry between the two most influential political families in Florence. There were the Guelphs, or, those in power, and the Ghibellines, or, the exiled. The Guelphs then split into two conflicting groups, The Whites, and The Blacks; The Whites, of which Dante was a member, eventually became more powerful than the Blacks. The Blacks went to Rome to ask for help from the Pope, which was then followed by many executions of the Blacks by the Whites. Dante was one of the six Whites who influenced and stood behind the persecution. After the Blacks stages a coup in 1301, and succeeded, Dante and other Whites were sent into exile.